Dipper's Guide to the Unexplained: Santa
by LadyMercelia
Summary: Stan tries to convince Dipper that Santa exists, but it doesn't go exactly the way he had planned. Just a short story in celebration of the season. Happy Holidays!


"Now to add the finishing touches!" Mabel announced as she poured sprinkles onto the last batch of Christmas cookies.

The Pines family had spent the day baking cookies together, much to the twins enjoyment.

It had seemed a simple enough task, but somehow they had still made a mess of everything. A wide variety of sprinkles and flour covered the kitchen, and the Pines family themselves. The delicious smell filled the room as Mabel finished decorating the last cookie.

"Mabel sweetie, go put this plate of cookies by the fireplace for Santa, will you?" Stan handed her a plate with a few of their cookies on it.

"Sure, Grunkle Stan! Oh I hope he likes edible glitter!" Mabel skipped off.

Once Mabel had left the room, Stan turned back to his nephew. "So, Dipper, what are you hoping Santa's bringing for you?"

"Grunkle Stan, don't patronize me." Dipper said flatly as he continued washing the dishes.

"What, you don't believe in Santa?" Grunkle Stan raised his eyebrow at him.

"Of course not, Santa doesn't exist, it defies all logic!" Dipper crossed his arms defiantly.

"Kid, you're telling me that after all the unbelievably crazy things you've seen, Santa is too illogical to be real?"

"Well-… I-… uh" Dipper stuttered. He didn't really have a proper retort for that. Gravity Falls defies logic every day. Compared to that, the existence of Santa seemed very tame.

"Exactly my point. If manotaurs and fairies can exist, who's to say Ol' Saint Nick can't?" Stan mused as he returned to scrubbing the counters.

These words rang in Dipper's head as they continued to clean the kitchen.

"Dipper, are you sure this is a good idea?" Mabel whispers, watching as her brother formulated his plan. "What if Santa puts you on the naughty list for this?"

"That's a risk I have to take, Mabel. For science." Dipper looked up from his rope trap to glance at his sister. "Besides, this won't hurt him. Wendy taught me how to make these traps, they are harmless."

Mabel puffed up her cheeks and huffed. "Well, whatever."

"Are you gonna join me on my stake out tonight?" Dipper questioned her.

"Nuh uh! I'm not gonna risk being put on the naughty list! I've been good all year, I'm not gonna blow it on the last day!" She huffed and threw her blankets over her as she prepared for bed. After a moment of silence, she rolled over to look at her brother again, who had gone back to making his trap. "Tell me all about it tomorrow, though, ok?"

Dipper chuckled as he tied the last knot. "All right Mabel. See you in the morning!" He grabbed his creation and dragged it down stairs, making sure to tip toe quietly so as not to wake Stan up.

Once he was in the living room he set to work. He carefully laid the rope in front of the plate of cookies they had made earlier that day. As soon he stepped on the rope, it would trigger the net.

He nodded to himself, content with his work, and rushed to hid behind the sofa, watching the fireplace intensely.

After what felt like hours passed, Dipper started to doze off. Was he not coming? Was he not real after all?

Just as Dipper's eyes began to close, he could hear his trap being set off.

He'd done it! He caught Santa!

He rushed over to the net, beaming. His smile quickly faded to one of confusion as he got closer to the pile of red before him.

"Grunkle Stan?"

"Geez Dipper, what are you doing!? Get this off me!" Stan grunted, trying to tear the net off of himself.

In one swift moment Dipper crouched and removed the net from his Great Uncle, fear and guilt keeping him from speaking.

"Geez kid, what were you thinking?" Stan brushed himself off as Dipper helped him up.

Dipper merely stayed silent, looking at his feet in shame. He felt so stupid.

After seeing the dejected look on his nephews face, Stan sighed. "I should have known not to provoke you, kid. I should have known you would be too curious to just let it go."

"Grunkle Stan, I'm sorry-" Dipper began, but Stan cut him off.

"It's ok, we are both to blame. I'm not hurt, either, so don't worry about that. The net was surprisingly gentle." Stan mused, glancing over at the trap.

After another moment of silence between the two, Dipper looked up at him. "Why did you do it?" He didn't sound angry, which relieved Stan. He did, however, sound confused and slightly upset.

Stan sighed and sat on the couch, gesture Dipper to come sit down by patting his knee.

Dipper followed, sitting on his Great Uncles leg.

"I didn't want you to stop believing in Santa, kid. I felt like, I dunno, like believing in Santa is a way for children to retain their sense of amazement and curiosity in the world. You kids have both gone through so much, I didn't want you to grow up too fast… to lose that sense of wonder."

Dipper looked up at his uncle, not sure what to say.

"Oh." he mumbled. After another silence, he added "Thank you, then."

Now it was Stan's turn to ask questions. "Why did you stop believing in Santa anyways?"

Dipper looked at his feet as he spoke. "Back home, our classmates made fun of Mabel and I for believing in Santa. They would say it was stupid and childish, and list all the reasons why it was impossible for him to exist. Mabel would always plug her ears and sing really loudly to ignore them, but I couldn't. I couldn't help but hear their words and begin to doubt myself. I started to believe I was being silly for believing, just like they said."

Stan grabbed the plate of cookies and handed one to Dipper, who took the treat gingerly.

"You felt like you weren't allowed to believe in Santa anymore because you were too old?" Stan responded.

Dipper nodded, taking a bite of the glittery rainbow colored cookie (courtesy of Mabel).

"You know, just because you get older doesn't mean you have to grow up."

Dipper froze at this, staring at his cookie as if he was in deep thought.

Stan sighed. "Look kid, Santa isn't real. He never was"

"I wouldn't say that" Dipper said mid bite, surprising his Uncle.

"What do you mean, you just-"

"Well I mean, sure, there isn't a Santa that lives in the North Pole who comes down the chimney on Christmas eve, but there's a Santa in each of the parents that put on the ruse to help their children retain their childish wonder. In a way, Santa is the love that the family shows for one another."

Grunkle Stan laughed and ruffled Dipper's hair. "now that's just cheesy, kid."

"Way too cheesy" Dipper laughed.

"Hey, Dipper, you won't tell your sister about this, will you?"

"Of course not, Grunkle Stan. I couldn't break her heart. It will be our little secret."

The next morning Dipper was awoken his sisters excited shouts.

"Dipper Dipper wake up! Did you see him? He came! Santa came! He left all these presents downstairs! Oh Dipper, did you see him? What was he like?"

Dipper rubbed his eyes as his sister dragged him down the stairs and into the living room. He feigned ignorance as he hit his forehead with his palm and exclaimed "Agh, no, I fell asleep and I missed him! I heard noises but it was like all of a sudden I fell asleep, and the next thing I knew I woke up in bed!"

"OHMYGOSH REALLY? I knew it, Santa has magic! He made you fall asleep, Dipper!" Mabel squealed with joy and she jumped up and down infront of her brother.

"Alright alright you too, lets go see what Santa left for us, huh?" Grunkle Stan laughed.

After Mabel had ran to the tree, Dipper and Stan glanced at eachother and flashed eachother a knowing smile.

They wouldn't let her loose her sense of wonder.


End file.
